Students Express Concern about Renovations to Eliot’s Bernstein Piano Room

As Eliot House prepares for extensive renovations, students expressed concern over the plans to remove a historic piano, donated to the house by Leonard Bernstein ’39, over spring break.

In a House-wide email, Eliot Faculty Deans Bonnie Talbert and David F. Elmer ’98 wrote that they would try to find a place for students to play the Bernstein piano in swing housing until the building reopens in the fall of 2027, when it will be relocated to a new, more accessible Bernstein room.

“We know that the piano is a treasured part of Eliot, and will be missed,” they wrote.

Bernstein was a renowned composer, conductor, and pianist, known for his work on West Side Story, his tenure as music director of the New York Philharmonic, and his work on bringing classic music to wider audiences through broadcast television and education.

The Tower Room, which is likely to be converted into student housing during the renovations, holds special value for Eliot residents as Bernstein practiced there during his time at the College.

Ethan A. Chaves ’26, a concertmaster in the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra, said he was sad to see the Tower Room repurposed during the renovations.

“Not only is he one of the most important alums from the college in general, but especially the most important musical alum, and it would be a shame to get rid of a space he expressly donated to be used by musicians,” Chaves said.

Though the University plans to relocate the piano to a new room, Chaves said he doesn’t think the replacement room “would suffice.”

“It would be like putting the John F. Kennedy room in Winthrop in just a random suite,” Chaves said.

Brendon Lau ’26, who is a principal violist in HRO, said he was disappointed with the changes.

“I’ve been there myself, personally, and had a good experience recording and rehearsing, sight reading music with a few friends,” he said.

“By removing it, rather, you would destroy its opportunity to be a part of the House life and be a part of the Eliot community,” he added.

One of the main priorities of the renovations, which are set to begin immediately after Commencement, is improving accessibility. The University will install elevators in the building, which currently has none. The Tower Room will most likely be converted into a two-floor student suite because elevators cannot access its elevated location, Elmer said in an interview.

The new Bernstein room will adjoin the library on the second floor, Elmer added.

“The windows in the current Tower Room don’t have a view of much except brickwork, so I think it’s a better location and it’ll be a larger space,” he said. “It’ll be better in a more frequently used site for that piano.”

The removal of the concert grand piano will require the use of large pieces of equipment and structural work to the building.

“Spring break is the latest possible opportunity to remove the piano before Commencement and the construction phase on the building,” Elmer said.

Elmer also said he recognized the value that the Bernstein piano and the Tower Room hold for musicians.

“There’s definitely a set of students who really enjoy playing that piano, and being in that space, where you do feel that you're sitting above the tumult of the house below. So, there is a special quality to this room. And so, I’m sorry that the piano has to be brought out before the end of the year,” he said.

“I do feel that the new space is going to be much nicer, more enjoyable, and allow more people to enjoy the piano, as either by playing it or by being in the audience for a performance,” he added.

—Staff writer Bianca G. Ciubancan can be reached at bianca.ciubancan@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Mohan A. Hathi can be reached at mohan.hathi@thecrimson.com.